Stored data, such as data stored and maintained by a Relational Database Management System (DBMS) are able to have increased flexibility in accessing stored data by maintaining indices into the stored data. An index into a stored dataset often does not allow accessing data according to the order in which the data is stored in the dataset. Performing multiple scanning operations through an index of a dataset therefore requires non-sequential access to the dataset. Determination of future data accesses in an index scan is difficult since the index structure may not be transparent to application programs and data caching determinations and makes effective reuse of cached data for indexed data scanning.
Determining a distance between different index scan operations often requires access to internal information maintained by the index structure. Accessing, or making an application dependent upon, the index structure's internal mechanisms is often undesirable or not practical. Several applications, for example data base indexed data scanning, are made more difficult or are not able to be realized due to an inability to practically and/or efficiently access index data structure internal mechanisms.
Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.